Takkarist McKinley made a promise to his dying grandmother shortly before she passed that he could be a first-round pick.

After the Falcons selected the former UCLA defensive end with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, McKinley delivered a passionate speech. He carried a framed portrait of his grandmother onto the stage in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum to greet commissioner Roger Goodell.

After receiving his Falcons cap, McKinley was overcome with emotion.

"This is who I did it for," the Northern California native shouted while pointing to the picture of his grandmother. "I made a promise to her and I stuck to it. I made that promise man. I told her I was going to go D-I. I was going to get out of Richmond. I told her I was going to get out of Oakland. I was going to go to the NFL. I made that promise to her, man. Thirty seconds later, she passed away, and that's who I do it for. This is who I do it for. Come on, man. God damn!

With Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders standing by, McKinley apologized for dropping an F-bomb before Sanders calmed him down and told him to channel his aggression into something positive. McKinley joked the NFL could fine him later for his outburst, but said his grandmother meant everything to him.

The Falcons actually traded up to get McKinley, sending their first-round pick at 31 to the Seahawks, who are also getting Atlanta's third-round pick (95th overall) and a seventh-round pick (249th overall).

With the Falcons, the 6-2, 250-pound McKinley can add to a young defense with playmakers like Vic Beasley at outside linebacker, inside linebacker Deion Jones and safety Keanu Neal. McKinley was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection after recording 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss with six pass breakups. He’s a high-motor player who should have a productive NFL career.